


Looking After Marlene

by FFlove190



Series: Rare Pair Week 2019 [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Babysitting, Established Relationship, M/M, baby!Marlene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 19:22:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17834639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FFlove190/pseuds/FFlove190
Summary: Angeal knew they were going to be babysitting Marlene when he took leave to visit Barret. He just didn't realize how unprepared he was for the whole thing





	Looking After Marlene

**Author's Note:**

> Rare Pair Week 2019 Day 2: Domestic Moments / Babysitting 
> 
> I lowkey ship these two really, really hard. I just haven't had the time to sit down and make content for them... until NOW. I hope ya'll enjoy. 
> 
> Unbeta;d

Angeal was beginning to realize that babysitting an adult was different than babysitting an actual baby.Training Zack had been like wrangling an overeager puppy during playtime, body guard duty was all about making sure the target didn’t get hurt, and keeping Sephiroth and Genesis from killing each other was a manageable headache. 

 

But this? 

 

Angeal was out of his depth. 

 

“Just hold her for a minute.” Barret was giving Angeal one of those looks: one where he saw right through Angeal’s facade. His voice was quiet, but didn’t have the timbre of bedroom whispers: he was just being quiet because the last time he’d talked at normal volume Marlene had cried. 

 

“The formula is almost ready.” Angeal pointedly turned away so he wouldn’t have to look anymore. 

 

Barret was taking up half of the kitchen with one of those kissable smiles on his lips and a hint of stubble on his chin; Barret always shaved on his days out of the mine, it looked weird to see it there. Barret was in those adorable suspenders and his shirtsleeves rolled up; he looked perfectly relaxed and ready to wrap Angeal up in his arms. Except those were occupied. Because there, in a swath of fabric, was tiny little baby Marlene. 

 

Angeal was trying not to pay attention to how  _ small  _ Marlene was, how she seemed barely bigger than Barret’s hand. She was tiny and had her whole life ahead of her: infinite possibilities, millions of potential paths stretched out. One misstep, one clumsy movement and Angeal could destroy her future. Just snuff it out like a candle. 

 

Angeal took a shaky breath. 

 

“What are ya so afraid of? I just changed her diaper. Not like she’s gunna shi-eeeee um, do the peepee and poopoo on you anytime soon.” Barret stumbled over the child friendly terms so awkwardly that Angeal couldn’t help a laugh. Barret and cursing went hand in hand, it was weird to hear anything otherwise. “Come on, it’s not like she’s going explode on ya’ either.”

 

Angeal adjusted the heat on the stove top. They still had gas ranges out in Corel - they cooked so much better than the electric cooktops in all the apartments in Midgar. They cooked so much better that Angeal had to make sure he didn’t burn the formula in the process.

 

Angeal didn’t have to turn to know Barret was giving him that assessing glare: a squint and a frown that meant he was uncovering all of Angeal’s secrets. 

 

“You’ve been cooking that thing for hours. Why the hel -  _ heck  _ aren’t you finished.” 

 

“It’s only been thirty minutes.” Angeal said with a cough, trying to hide his laugh. Dyne had threatening bodily injury for any swears that passed Barret’s lips in front of his daughter: Angeal was supposed to keep track. “I told you already: I’ve never made formula before.” 

 

“You make hot milk all the dam-  _ dang _ time. You made it just last night, remember?” Barret harumphed; Angeal couldn’t help but glance over and see him gently rocking Marlene. It was amazing how gentle Barret was with the baby. This was one of the few men outside of SOLDIER who could bench press him (that made Angeal absolutely melt) and here he was holding a tiny life in his hands with all the tenderness his figure belied. Barret glanced up, eyes trained on Angeal’s. “Aren’t there directions? Why’s it so hard? Yeah, look, they’re right there where I left ‘em. If I can do it you can do it.”

 

There was plenty he could say in response to that, but ultimately Barret was right. The directions were right there and Angeal had been following them diligently. It would have helped if Barret had a food thermometer of some sort but the directions had a work around. 

 

Angeal sighed and picked up the bottle and tested it against his wrist. It didn’t burn, but it wasn’t as warm as it could have been. Was Angeal’s wrist an accurate measure? He’d always run warm even before the SOLDIER procedure. Did that mean it was okay? Or maybe he should put it back on for a few more minutes. Just in case. 

 

“Why are you putting that back?” 

 

“I’m not.” Angeal had only maybe been putting it back, he hadn’t actually been putting it back. 

 

“Give it.” Barret held out a hand. “You’re going to let a girl starve with all this indecision.” 

 

“We don’t need to feed her  _ right _ now.” Angeal pointed out. There wasn’t a law about when babies should eat after all. “Besides, she’s asleep.” 

 

“Look at those peepers. Does she look asleep to you?” Barret leaned over enough so that Angeal got an eyeful of little baby Marlene blinking up at him like he was the weirdest thing she’d even seen in her life. Maybe he was. She was barely three months old. Tiny, with big beautiful eyes, and an adorable face, and a future that Angeal would break. 

 

Fear bubbled in Angeal’s gut. This was supposed to be a vacation, instead he was afraid to be in this house, Barret’s house that was more of a home to him than his apartment, because of - of this fragile, little life that Angeal might just crush. 

 

“Give me the bottle, Angeal.” Barret made a grabbing motion with his fingers. Angeal knew if he hadn’t been holding Marlene, they would be rough housing over it and testing the weight of the counters. But here they were: a baby between them and the start of an argument over a stupid baby bottle. 

 

Angeal handed it over. He didn’t want to, but he didn’t want to raise his voice. The books he’d been reading on the way to Corel said that baby’s had sensitive ears. What if his voice hurt her in some way…

 

Angeal busied himself by turning off the burner. Just in case.

 

Barret was already angling the bottle towards her face. Marlene made a gurgling noise as it got close. 

 

“Wait.” Angeal couldn’t ignore the panic in his gut anymore. The formula was probably too cold: she would get sick. Sick enough that her little life would go snuff. No, wiat, the formula was probably too hot and she would burn herself maybe permanently! She might never be able to taste properly again. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to eat again. She’d starve! “It’s not ready. Let me put it back and -” 

 

Barret gave him a look. 

 

“Alright. Alright. You hold her.” Barret held her out, baby bottle in the crook of his elbow. 

 

“I can’t.” Angeal said too quickly. There was something about Barret’s honesty that made all of Angeal’s excuses sound useless, even when they were on the tip of his tongue. There were so many ways he could get out of this situation, so many ways he could have avoided it. But he had come to visit voluntarily, knowing that they would be looking after Marlene for a day or two. Angeal couldn’t just leave  _ now _ .

 

“Don’t worry. You won’t hurt her. Dyne trusts me with her, and he sure as hell trusts you.” 

 

The part of Angeal’s mind that wasn’t shuttering to a halt updated the count of swear words Barret had used already. Ten in the last two hours. It was a definite improvement for Barret.

 

“You’re her godfather,” was all Angeal could say. “Of course he trusts you.” 

 

Babies were terrifying. Because everything could go wrong. It was a tiny person’s life, a parents hopes and dreams, and the future all at once. Angeal was never trusted with anything that delicate and that important for a reason.

 

“For fuck’s sake, Angeal. You’re afraid you’ll hurt this little baby?  _ You? _ You’re the gentlest man I know. I’ve seen you garden, and cook, and bake all those damn pies with that tiny little crimping thing you do. And I just -   _ what _ are you so afraid of?”

 

“That’s different. They don’t… those don’t  _ matter _ .” Angeal was aware he had been physically backing up until he was in the corner of the kitchen. Barret was around him: a wall of warmth and security that never let Angeal escape from a difficult conversation. 

 

Angeal had known they would be babysitting: he’d rented books on it, researched how to care for little ones, practiced holding with a bag of flour. But it was nowhere near like working with the real thing. She was so tiny and fragile and  _ irreplaceable _ . 

 

“Hold out your damn arms.” Barret grumbled.

 

“I’ll drop her!” Angeal was desperate: he couldn’t let Barret hand her over. “Or - or I’ll crush her. Or -”

 

“Shh, honey, shh.” Barret smiled and it made Angeal’s tension release just a little bit. “If I can do it, you can do it.” 

 

There was a lot of things Barret could do that Angeal couldn’t: trust wholeheartedly, question when no one else would, and never veer from the path he chose. But Angeal knew he couldn’t bring those up now. Those were the reasons he fell in love with this idiot. 

 

This was going to be another win in Barret’s column wasn’t it?

 

“Stop frowning and hold out your arms. I got you.” 

 

Angeal obeyed and lifted his arms. And then, in no time at all, the little fragile thing - wrapped up more carefully than Genesis’s fine china - was in his arms. Barret was arranging his limbs, making Marlene  _ safe  _ in them. Barret’s hands stayed under Angeal’s elbows, steadying and supportive. 

 

“I’m going to let go.” Barret said. 

 

“No.” Visions of Marlene falling to the floor assailed Angeal. The moment Barret let go it was going to happen, he was sure of it.

 

Angeal wasn’t a nervous man by nature. You couldn’t be like that in SOLDIER, even less as a commander: there was politics to play, lives to protect, and wars to wage. But Angeal was more anxious than the day he had hefted the Buster on his back the first time and left Banora. 

 

Barret leaned in and kissed Angeal’s cheek. 

 

“Don’t worry, you got her.” 

 

“I’m going to drop her.” Angeal said in horror.

 

“If you drop her, I’ll catch her. And then smack you upside the head with this bottle.” 

 

Angeal huffed a laugh. Marlene wriggled in his arms; he wondered, suddenly, if she liked the noise. Angeal was wrapped up in the smile on her face, how her chubby cheeks reddened and she giggled. 

 

Then Angeal realized, all too suddenly, that Barret wasn’t holding his arms up anymore. When had Barret stopped holding him? How had he not dropped Marlene? Angeal looked up from the baby just in time to see Barret testing the bottle against his own wrist. 

 

“Would you look at that. Temperature is perfect.” Barret smiled. Angeal felt his insides melting, and his stomach release. “And look at you holding that baby girl.” 

 

Barret leaned back over, one of his hands going to Angeal’s hips. 

 

“Now it’s time for you to feed her.” 

 

Angeal had given up protesting. Barret had a one track mind and he was as stubborn as a zolom chasing a choboco. So Angeal just nodded and let Barret bring the bottle back over. 

 

Angeal didn’t know how to move his hands without hurting Marlene, but Barret helped arrange her in the crook of his elbow, with her head on his hand. This was all wordless - a moment of hushed wonder - and then Barret was directing Angeal’s hand, bottle and all, to Marlene’s lips. Angeal kept hold of the little girl, and the proper angle of the bottl, even as Barret released his hand. 

 

“Relax, honey.” Barret said gently. “You’re going great.” 

 

Barret wrapped an arm around Angeal and guided him from the poorly lit corner to the center of the kitchen, in full view of the window. Angeal was tense about moving with Marlene in his arms, but he knew that Barret was looking out for her. 

 

The light reflected off the golden Corel sands and caught in Barret’s eyes. Angeal felt his breath catch. 

 

Marlene suckled happily between them, in Angeal’s arms. Barret laid his head atop Angeal’s as they looked down at her. 

 

“You ever thought about having kids?” Barret said it softly, like they had just woken up together and didn’t want to return to reality. It sort of felt like that, didn’t it? Like they were in a dream. 

 

“... I did.” Angeal admitted. “Before I joined Shinra. I thought of having a farm, with a whole army of kids running around like a pack of hounds.” That was back when he thought he and Genesis would be together forever, before his father had passed, before living up to his father’s expectations felt impossible, before he signed his life away to Shinra. Angeal felt his throat closing up. “You?” 

 

“I always wanted kids.” Barret said wistfully. “But it felt like a pipe dream. I never thought I’d be good with them: too rough, you know? Everyone agreed I was better off digging in the mines than fathering babes.”

 

Angeal chuckled, aware of Marlene’s eyes on his face, and the warmth of Barret’s arm around him. They were in a home that was no richer than the one he had grown up in, that had the marks of coal on the wall by the door where Barret would forget to wash up before he got home, in a kitchen that was barely large enough for the two of them, with a tiny little life with a whole world to see. 

 

Now that panic wasn’t drowning him, Angeal had to admit that this wasn’t so terrible.

 

“Looks like they were wrong about you looking after kids after all.” Angeal leaned into Barret’s arms, content in knowing Barret could take his weight. 

 

“But I was right about you. Look at you taking care of this baby.” Barret nuzzled into Angeal's cheek, his breath tickling Angeal’s ear, voice proud and warm. “You could probably handle a whole flock of kids, easy. We could get a whole baker’s dozen!”

 

“Maybe.” Angeal could imagine it. He let the details fall away - the worries about Shinra, their livlihoods, the threats both of them faced every day - and thought about children scurrying around his feet, about Barret tossing them in the air and climbing trees, about a slow and peaceful life between them. What a dream; it would never be real. With their jobs, the lives, Angeal couldn’t imagine both of them surviving to see something so idyllic. Instead he said, “I already have Zack.” 

 

Barret laughed; it was loud in Angeal’s ear; he savored it. “I hear he’s more trouble than he’s worth. You have to stop letting puppies join up. Better yet stop training them.”

 

Barret and Zack had never met. But Angeal could easily imagine it, easier than imagining an idyllic future with Barret. Barret and Zack would laugh, share jokes, wrestle, and argue over nothing. They would try to outdo each other with stories, with friendship,s with connections. It would be loud, chaotic, and full of smiles. It was everything a family should be. Angeal knew it was as close as he would ever get. 

 

“Next vacation you’re coming to Midgar.” Angeal said with a smile. “And you get to help  _ me _ babysit.” 

 

Barret laughed. 

 

Angeal relaxed into his boyfriend, and for a while everything was perfect. 


End file.
